# Cuban blend pipe tobacco?



## DirtyBlackSocks (Jan 6, 2011)

Does it exist?

I'm not sure if this is an appropriate post for here - so I apologize if mods are offended.

I pulled apart a very tight Partagas that isn't from the states and mixed it in with some bald headed teacher and virginia...and all I can say is it was absolutely delicious.

Does cuba have pipe blends we don't see outside of that country, or are Ireland and Europe the main producers still?


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

Yeah, they exist. I've never tried one,
but I've heard that they're pretty bad.


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## DirtyBlackSocks (Jan 6, 2011)

Hermit said:


> Yeah, they exist. I've never tried one,
> but I've heard that they're pretty bad.


I would imagine on their own they'd be horrible. Cuban cigars are known to be strong to begin with and need a good year of aging in a humidor at 63 rH just to loosen up and taste right.

But if they'd lift the damn ban on Cuban tobacco's I'd be some fantastic blends could be had, it adds a nice extra kick with a smooth after taste that when mixed in small amounts does not overpower whatever your'e mixing it in with.

I added the virginia to make sure I got some extra sweet after taste after trying the mix without it...it really did come out nice and reminded me of a well rolled top shelf premium cigar.


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## FiveStar (Jan 7, 2010)

Didn't Robert McConnell make a "Pure Havana" a while back? It may still be in production, and just not available in the US. I think if I remember correctly that it's just a havana leaf in a ribbon or shag cut? I might be way off the mark here....

I'd imagine theres a reason that cuban baccy is known for being made into cigars rather than pipe baccy. Just as is the case with nicaragua, the DR and honduras. The baccy being grown there is for cigars, and tastes as such. I've only tried one blend with cigar leaf in it, and quickly decided that cigars weren't meant to be smoked in pipes.


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## DirtyBlackSocks (Jan 6, 2011)

FiveStar said:


> Didn't Robert McConnell make a "Pure Havana" a while back? It may still be in production, and just not available in the US. I think if I remember correctly that it's just a havana leaf in a ribbon or shag cut? I might be way off the mark here....
> 
> I'd imagine theres a reason that cuban baccy is known for being made into cigars rather than pipe baccy. Just as is the case with nicaragua, the DR and honduras. The baccy being grown there is for cigars, and tastes as such. I've only tried one blend with cigar leaf in it, and quickly decided that cigars weren't meant to be smoked in pipes.


Well cuban baccy is in short supply and sells for a lot in cigar form by comparison to what you find pipe tobacco for sale at - especially aged cuban cigars (I believe pipe baccy needs 2 or 3 years before it can be sold?). So that could be the number one clue.

Also the more flavorful pipe tobacco's I've had come out of England and Ireland - so I don't know if there's a break there with cuban tobacco being properly blended due to constraints on where it comes from.

I'm not saying tobacco that is generally put into cigars should be the primary flavour source for pipe tobacco's, but the small amount of cuban I put into the blend I made left a wonderfully warm aftertaste. I'm sure it would taste filthy if it were nothing but cuban tobacco in the pipe - and be a complete waste of some good tobacco no less.


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## Nachman (Oct 16, 2010)

Most of the tobacco in British blends comes from Africa. There is no reason good pipe tobacco could not be grown in Cuba, but it would be more profitable for Cuban farmers to continue to grow tobacco for cigars. Given the limited land area available in Cuba for tobacco cultivation, I doubt that it will ever come to pass.


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## FiveStar (Jan 7, 2010)

Nachman said:


> Most of the tobacco in British blends comes from Africa. There is no reason good pipe tobacco could not be grown in Cuba, but it would be more profitable for Cuban farmers to continue to grow tobacco for cigars. Given the limited land area available in Cuba for tobacco cultivation, I doubt that it will ever come to pass.


Well said!

I think all of these cigar producing regions are known for their cigar tobaccos. They're equipped to harvest it as such, and that's the tobacco farming culture that's arisen in these places. There's no incentive for them to grow virginias, burleys, or any of the other varieties that might produce smokeable pipe weed. I've smoked some cuban cigarettes before, and they were essentially unsmokeable. Simply cigar baccy stuffed in a tube. Now that I'm not a cigarette smoker, I might enjoy simply puffing on one, but I certainly wouldn't go chopping up a Cohiba and stuffing it into a tube with some American Spirit if I still inhaled.

That's not to say that there isn't a place for cigar leaf in some blends. There are some successful blends out there such as C&D's billy budd, and Pease's Key Largo and Robusto that contain cigar leaf. For those who enjoy it, it's a nice condiment leaf. I only meant to say that I don't enjoy those types of blends.

If you enjoyed the chopped up cuban blend in you're pipe, I think that's awesome! Hell, if someone handed me a blend with havana leaf in it, I'd smoke it out of principal! Still, for me pipe baccy belongs in pipes and cigars get smoked as they are. Just a personal preference (and enjoy both at one time or another!)


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## canadianpiper (Nov 27, 2010)

I dont mind cigar blends but I cannot say I have ever seen a cuban leaf blend. I may not have looked hard enough .


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